These statistics are presented in a report produced by Statistics Sweden, in which adult participation in different types of education was reviewed through the Adult Education Survey.

More women took part in staff training

Among those who were employed, the proportion of women who took part in staff training over a twelve-month period was higher than the proportion of men. Among employed women, 63 percent took part in at least one staff training activity, compared with 56 percent among employed men.

The percentage of those who took part in staff training increased with their educational level. This applied to both women and men. The most common reason for taking part in staff training was by far to be able to better carry out their job. About 75 percent of training activities were useful to a large or fairly large extent within 12 months.

Two out of three adults took part in education

Among adults aged 25–64, about 64 percent took part in training during a twelve-month period. Women took part to a larger degree than men, and non-formal education is more commonly occurring than formal education. It is not surprising that many people take part in non-formal education, as 80 percent of these training programmes consist of staff training.

The level of participation among adult women and men does not differ with regard to non-formal education. With regard to formal education, there is a difference between the sexes, as 18 percent of women and 10 percent of men took part.

About 80 percent of adults aged 25–64 have conducted self-study, also known as informal learning. This type of learning supplements formal and non-formal education. The most common type of self-study is done via a computer, tablet or smartphone.

A more detailed presentation of the survey is published in the theme report Adult participation in education – staff training and other types of education, which also includes results from the Continuing Vocational Training Survey.